A study by the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), entitled “Fatal Falls from Roofs Among U.S. Construction Workers”, found that falls from roofs accounted for one-third of fall-related construction fatalities from 1992-2009. The study also found that workers employed by small establishments, residential construction workers, Hispanic workers and immigrant workers may face disproportionately high risks of roof fatalities. A total of 20,498 occupational fatalities occurred in the construction industry from 1992-2009. Of these deaths, nearly one-third were attributed to fall injuries, with 2,163 fatalities resulting from roof falls. Citing the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the study points out that falls account for 76 percent of fatalities in the roofing industry, and workers in the roofing industry are three times more likely to experience fatal work-related injuries than other construction workers.
Many injuries and deaths occur because preventative tools and strategies are simply inefficient, ineffective, complicated, difficult and/or expensive to implement. Often, these barriers encourage unnecessary risky behavior from contractors that contribute to the injuries and fatalities mentioned above.
Known roofing safety devices, also known as “roof anchors”, moor or secure the contractor or user to the roof. These devices typically have a line with one end connected to a harness or belt worn by the contractor, with the opposite end secured to some type of anchoring device. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,407 describes roof anchors 16 and 18 positioned on opposite sides of the peak of a pitched roof 14, and that the plate members 28 and 49 of each of the roof anchors are secured in place by threading screws 32 through corresponding screw holes 30 and into the roof 14.
Other known roof anchors are comprised of a series of V-shaped components that attach the top of the roof at the ridge, and are drilled into each side of the roof directly perpendicular to the ridge of a trussed roof, and has a loop for a rope which holds the contractor. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,944A to Woodyard teaches a roof mounted anchor having a base member formed to fit a roof and having spaced holes to receive a screw or screw like fasteners used in securing this anchor to the roof structure of a building, an integral upright anchoring eyelet structure secured to the base member in the center portion thereof and having an eyelet to receive portions of a cable, or hook, preferably a gusset integrally extending between the base member and the integral upright anchoring eyelet structure.
Yet another known safety device requires the contractor to build a structure of some type next to the home. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,095 to Franke teaches a fall protection restraint apparatus comprising a base that rests on the lowest floor surface of a building during construction. A number of poles are connected to the base sequentially, as construction height requires, to form a structurally sound column. Support cables are connected between the poles and the building under construction to horizontally support the column by forming a guyed matrix. A retractable lifeline lanyard is attached to D-rings on the end cap on the uppermost pole.
The aforementioned designs do have their drawbacks, however. For example, the known devices screw directly into the roof frame, which requires the contractor to repair the roof. This is inefficient, costly and may further damage the roof. Furthermore, in these types of designs, structural components of the roof such as the truss tend to peel away from the roof when subjected to a fall at an angle other than straight down from the roof anchor. The prior devices may not offer sufficient strength to make them capable of withstanding significant lateral and shear force. Lastly, the devices referenced above are not readily mobile.
What is needed is a roof safety apparatus that obviates the above issues.
Unless otherwise indicated, the illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.